Refrigerator

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Grey Eagle

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2005
Posts
8
We have a 99 Itasca Suncruiser motor home and the refrigerator is not cooling.  It has done this before and we took it for a drive for fuel and propane and it started working again.  We are getting ready to use it again and need to get it working.  Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Jerry
 
If coach motion fixed it last time, then debree in the burner is likely.
 
The fact that the fridge works after a short trip tells me that you could of had a "vapor lock" of the gasses in the refer's cooling unit.
This is sort of like how you have a  RV owner remove the fridge & turning it on it's top and rolling it around to "burp" it, reinstall it and the refer starts working again. 
Did you previously test the fridge on LP and 110v? If the refer only works on one power source and not the other tells me that you have a heating problem on that side of the system. The cooling unit is OK. Heat elements do burn out and gas burners are subject to all the rust scale that falls down onto itself. To service the gas burner, you need to go outside & remove the cover plate and blow out the area with high pressure air and turn the air nozzle upwards to blow out the flue (like a chimney stack). Most of the time this will clean out the burner with no removal of components. Just be cafefull not to force high pressure air into the burner's orifice while it is still installed on the fridge. The electric side need no service till the heat element burns out (like a light bulb) then you need to replace it. If you suspect a faulty heat element you will feel no heat at or around the gas burner & cooling unit (outside) after 30+ minutes of operation.

Try the refridgerator on gas & electric and post your results. Let it run overnight on each.
Got to have cold beverages!

Dennis


 
 
I am not sure I can tell you what is wrong but two inexpensive troubleshooting tips is to clean the flu and while some one is trying the igniter gently move its mounting. I had a loose mounting that worked intermittently, usually when we were moving.
 
This morning, the refrigerator still is not cold.  What is the proper way to "Burp it"?  Do I need to disconnect the propane line and tilt it, or does it need to be totally stood upside down?

Thanks,

Jerry
 
So the propane side doesn't seem to work. What about electric mode?  You need to isolate the problem between the heat source (propane or electric) and the cooling unit itself (which is comon to both heat sources).

Burping - you need to remove the fridge and stand it upside down for awhile, not just tilt or shake.  Sometimes it works, but it's a gamble and it rarely is a permanent fix.

Here's a website with comprehensive info on trouble shoting Rv fridges. 

http://www.rverscorner.com/articles/rvrefridgerator.html

 
Ron, you just shattered my hopes.? ;D? I found a site last night that offered rebuilt units at a good price.? Are they just not as reliable?

Thanks,

Jerry
 
Generally speaking you get what you pay for.  I stand by my original recommendation "if replacement of the cooling unit is found necessary replace only with a new unit" not a rebuilt unit.
 
I've heard too many reports of rebuilts failing again, sometie within a month or so. Even if warranteed, it's a big pain to replace it again (especially if doing it yourself). Plus you are without a fridge again until the repair is completed.  A new unit is a much better bet.  Only you can decide whether the cost savings on a rebuilt is worth the risk.
 
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